As we reported last October, Pinkard was initially a person of interest, first arrested for violating an order of protection after telling police he called Chiaverini.

But now, Pinkard's accused of killing her.

"It does take sometimes, take time depending on the facts of the case," said Wayne County Acting District Attorney Christopher Bokelman. "This one, a little longer than I think everyone, the family, would have wanted, but now the grand jury's made its decision and we're ready to move forward."

"It doesn't stop us from doing our own investigation and doing the work that we need to do pre-indictment and post-indictment," said Pinkard's lawyer, Joseph Damelio.

Pinkard remains in jail without bail after Friday's hearing. Bokelman said he hopes to schedule a trial for Pinkard before the end of the year.

If convicted, Pinkard faces a minimum sentence of 15 years to life in prison.